And I Did Not Object
An American update to Pastor Martin Niemöller's poem.
And I Did Not Object
by Kyle Friedrich
First they came for the transgenders
and I did not object
because I don’t really know anyone who is trans
But boy, the ones I see in public
with their blue hair and stupid pronoun pins
sure do annoy me to no end
So who cares if we ban teachers and doctors
from acknowledging these folks exist?
Next they came for the immigrants
and I did not object
because of course they were illegals
But when I was told that many of them were here legally
and that not all were criminals like they claimed
that’s when I changed my tune to say
So who cares if they get sent back to the land of their persecutors
or some prison in a country they’re not even from
if they didn’t come here the “right way”
Then they came for the grad students
and I did not object
because sure, I hate cancel culture
and say I really value free speech
But the things those people were chanting
sometimes were quite offensive and wrong
So who cares if a couple of them get disappeared
to send a message to the rest?
At last they came for me
but I could not object
because I did not know why
But I am sure that others will find a reason
to excuse my treatment as I have done for them
So I should not be surprised
if nobody cares.